The Sad Truth Behind that Doggie in the Window

But if he could talk, what else would he say? And could you bear to hear his story?

He’d start by telling you how he got here. He’d recount his cramped, cross-country trip in a disease-filled truck. Then he’d describe the overcrowded hellhole he came from, where his parents still suffer, living in filthy wire cages. As his heartbreaking story unfolds, he’d plead for you to listen. And he’d implore you to act now—to join with other compassionate animal-lovers and put a permanent end to puppy mills.

What are Puppy Mills?

Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce puppies. Some mills hold dozens of dogs and others hold thousands. But regardless of the size, most puppy mills have many basic features in common:

• Barking dogs, crammed together in rows of small crowded cages.
• Stinking air, full of ammonia, urine, and feces.
• Nowhere for dogs to play or go for a walk. No toys or soft bedding.
• No human affection or socialization.
• Just disease, neglect, and breeding—over and over. Every six months, malnourished female dogs are forced to have yet another litter of puppies.

Puppy mills typically have one priority: profits. To lower costs, dogs are continually caged—exposed to rain, heat, and cold. This causes the dogs to exhibit neurotic behavioral patterns, such as nonstop spinning in place or eating their own feces. Insufficient veterinary care also often leads to rotten teeth, infected eyes, and painful sores. If a puppy mill dog is ever taken from her cage and placed on the grass, it’s not unusual for her to cower in fear since turf under her paws is an alien sensation.

Pet shops will say whatever it takes to sell an animal.

Pet shops might say, “This breeder raises dogs in his home.” Or, “It’s illegal for us to sell puppy mill animals.” Both are lies. But these lies often assuage a potential customer’s fears and dupe them into purchasing a puppy. Then the final round of tragedy begins. Animals might start to exhibit some or all of the following traits:

• Illnesses
• Behavioral issues.
• Hereditary defects from inbreeding.

These are all direct consequences of puppy mill breeding. Unsuspecting customers, who were just looking for healthy, lifelong friends, find themselves paying staggering vet bills and caring for animals with alarming behavioral problems. This often causes customers to abandon their newly purchased animals at shelters. The odds of survival there are grim. Every year, one and a half million shelter animals are euthanized.

But mills keep flooding the market with more puppies. Customers who surrendered their dogs at shelters will often return to pet shops to buy more—unaware of the hidden root of their animals’ problems. Customers proceed under the well-intentioned but misguided belief that buying that doggie in the window will “save him.” But in reality, they are keeping puppy mills in business and condemning that puppy’s parents to a life in a cage.

How to Avoid Supporting Animal Mills.

Never purchase an animal from a pet shop. Responsible breeders do not sell to pet shops because the process doesn’t allow for the screening of potential buyers.

Adopt your companion animal from a local shelter or rescue. It’s the easiest way to avoid the heartbreak and suffering of mills. You can find all ages and breeds of animals, including purebreds. To find a shelter in your area, visit www.petfinder.com